the forest, keeping close together, my meagre torchlight leading the way. Now was not the time to be separated; I did not want to be chasing down a werewolf in the middle of this dark, misty forest.
Remembering I had some chocolate bars hidden in my vest pocket—you never know when you might need food out in the field—I pulled one out and shared it with Daniel. He accepted gratefully. I noticed for the first time that he was beginning to lose some of the werewolf features; the fur was still very present, but his face looked like it was beginning to return to human form. This was excellent news. If he could manage to control the wolf it would make everything much easier.
As I put the empty wrapper back in my pocket, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. At first I thought I’d imagined it. Surely it had to be my mind playing tricks on me.
Obviously it was because when I looked closer it had gone. She had gone. This day was bringing back memories that had been quite happily buried away. I tried to turn my attention to Daniel who was clearly attempting to take control of the wolf once again. The scrunched nose and screwed up eyebrows would have been comical at any other time.
Then I noticed it again, a flash of movement off to my right. I stopped, catching Daniel’s arm, stopping him too. I wanted to listen; if someone else was here we’d be able to hear them moving. Were they following us?
Daniel was about to question why we’d stopped when I mouthed to him to be quiet. His brows crunched together and he narrowed his eyes in confusion. Listening carefully I tried not to make any movements. There was no sound at all, no birds, no animals moving along the forest floor, not even any rustling leaves. I shone my torch around in a slow circle. It lit up the floor, which was littered with leaves, twigs and long grass poking up here and there. It shone against the rough bark on the trees and the darkness in between, leading only to more trees further on.
I froze. I really hoped I hadn’t seen what I thought I’d seen. I glanced at Daniel who was looking remarkably calm. Excruciatingly slowly I moved my torchlight back to the right, just to the side of a particularly thick tree branch. There was an eye staring back at me.
It blinked.
‘Can you see that?’ my voice was barely even audible as I spoke to Daniel.
‘See what?’ he replied, nonchalantly. Clearly he couldn’t. I shushed him and turned towards the eye. If the person the eye belonged to was going to attack us, they surely would have done so by now. I got the impression they had been following us for quite a while. So much for my abilities stopping people from sneaking up behind me.
I searched hard, trying to find a connection to the hidden person, whilst still keeping the wolf contained. There was nothing to be found. The wolf must be taking more energy than I’d realised; I’d never failed to reach someone who was standing so close.
Sounding braver than I felt I spoke aloud, ‘Come out from behind the tree. Who are you?’
Slowly the eye moved. Long, blonde curly hair came into view, falling carefully around the very pale face staring at me through the gap in the trees. The young woman was wearing a green dress that was torn and dirty. I took a step back uncertainly, practically stepping on Daniel who was close behind me.
‘Jack,’ the woman whispered, her arm outstretched towards me.
I shook my head. This was not happening. ‘No, you are just in my head. Go away. You don’t exist.’ I backed up even further but Daniel’s arms gripped my shoulders and stopped me.
‘Jack,’ he said, the concern clear in his voice, ‘What’s happening? There’s nothing there. It’s just us.’
The solid sound of his voice shook me to my senses and the woman faded away in front of my eyes. My mother. Looking exactly like she had when she’d disappeared. This had been a very bad idea.
‘Are you okay?’ Daniel asked
Remembering I had some chocolate bars hidden in my vest pocket—you never know when you might need food out in the field—I pulled one out and shared it with Daniel. He accepted gratefully. I noticed for the first time that he was beginning to lose some of the werewolf features; the fur was still very present, but his face looked like it was beginning to return to human form. This was excellent news. If he could manage to control the wolf it would make everything much easier.
As I put the empty wrapper back in my pocket, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. At first I thought I’d imagined it. Surely it had to be my mind playing tricks on me.
Obviously it was because when I looked closer it had gone. She had gone. This day was bringing back memories that had been quite happily buried away. I tried to turn my attention to Daniel who was clearly attempting to take control of the wolf once again. The scrunched nose and screwed up eyebrows would have been comical at any other time.
Then I noticed it again, a flash of movement off to my right. I stopped, catching Daniel’s arm, stopping him too. I wanted to listen; if someone else was here we’d be able to hear them moving. Were they following us?
Daniel was about to question why we’d stopped when I mouthed to him to be quiet. His brows crunched together and he narrowed his eyes in confusion. Listening carefully I tried not to make any movements. There was no sound at all, no birds, no animals moving along the forest floor, not even any rustling leaves. I shone my torch around in a slow circle. It lit up the floor, which was littered with leaves, twigs and long grass poking up here and there. It shone against the rough bark on the trees and the darkness in between, leading only to more trees further on.
I froze. I really hoped I hadn’t seen what I thought I’d seen. I glanced at Daniel who was looking remarkably calm. Excruciatingly slowly I moved my torchlight back to the right, just to the side of a particularly thick tree branch. There was an eye staring back at me.
It blinked.
‘Can you see that?’ my voice was barely even audible as I spoke to Daniel.
‘See what?’ he replied, nonchalantly. Clearly he couldn’t. I shushed him and turned towards the eye. If the person the eye belonged to was going to attack us, they surely would have done so by now. I got the impression they had been following us for quite a while. So much for my abilities stopping people from sneaking up behind me.
I searched hard, trying to find a connection to the hidden person, whilst still keeping the wolf contained. There was nothing to be found. The wolf must be taking more energy than I’d realised; I’d never failed to reach someone who was standing so close.
Sounding braver than I felt I spoke aloud, ‘Come out from behind the tree. Who are you?’
Slowly the eye moved. Long, blonde curly hair came into view, falling carefully around the very pale face staring at me through the gap in the trees. The young woman was wearing a green dress that was torn and dirty. I took a step back uncertainly, practically stepping on Daniel who was close behind me.
‘Jack,’ the woman whispered, her arm outstretched towards me.
I shook my head. This was not happening. ‘No, you are just in my head. Go away. You don’t exist.’ I backed up even further but Daniel’s arms gripped my shoulders and stopped me.
‘Jack,’ he said, the concern clear in his voice, ‘What’s happening? There’s nothing there. It’s just us.’
The solid sound of his voice shook me to my senses and the woman faded away in front of my eyes. My mother. Looking exactly like she had when she’d disappeared. This had been a very bad idea.
‘Are you okay?’ Daniel asked
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